OurCoop Expands Renewable Energy Partnerships Across UK Communities

Retail and consumer co-operative group OurCoop says its growing network of renewable energy partnerships is now helping generate enough clean electricity to power more than 65,000 homes across the UK.

The organisation, created through the merger of Central Co-op, Midcounties Co-operative and Chelmsford Star Co-op earlier this year, says it is continuing to expand investment in both on-site renewable generation and wider community energy schemes.

According to the society, solar installations are now operating across more than 130 of its locations, including rooftop systems, solar carports and a mini solar farm. Over the past year, the estate generated approximately 4.7 million kWh of renewable electricity, helping reduce carbon emissions by more than 800 tonnes annually.

Alongside its own generation capacity, OurCoop is also increasing its involvement in larger renewable energy agreements through long-term power purchase partnerships linked to offshore wind generation.

The organisation says these agreements provide traceable renewable electricity sourced from the London Array offshore wind farm in the Thames Estuary. One of the agreements, developed in collaboration with other independent co-operatives, supplies up to 56GWh of renewable electricity each year.

A second agreement has since expanded supply further, with the society stating that it now generates enough renewable energy to cover the full electricity requirements of the former Chelmsford Star estate and beyond.

Community energy remains a major focus of the strategy.

Through its joint venture with Octopus Energy, known as Younity, OurCoop says it now supports more than 380 power purchase agreements involving around 100 community energy organisations across the UK.

These projects include locally owned renewable energy schemes such as solar installations on schools, community buildings, and public facilities.

The initiative also provides financial and operational support to community energy groups, including access to funding through the £1.5 million Community Energy Kickstart loan programme.

One of the schemes supported through the programme includes the large rooftop solar installation at Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol, which is regarded as one of the UK’s largest rooftop solar arrays.

According to OurCoop, the combined partnerships now support more than a third of the UK’s community-generated renewable energy capacity.

The organisation says Younity also plays a wider role in supporting the growth of community energy through volunteer networks, funding support, and collaboration with industry organisations such as Community Energy England.

Mike Pickering, Head of Sustainability at OurCoop, said the projects demonstrate how co-operative models can support both decarbonisation and local ownership of energy infrastructure.

Beyond energy generation, the organisation says sustainability initiatives are also being expanded across other areas of the business, including tree planting programmes, environmental education, and community-focused climate projects.

Partnerships with organisations such as Ecologi and Co-operative Climate Action have supported the planting of hundreds of thousands of trees linked to the society’s travel, telecoms, and funeral service businesses.

Environmental awareness initiatives are also being integrated into Little Pioneers nurseries operated by the group, where children are introduced to topics such as food growing, nature, and sustainable resource use.

The announcement reflects the increasing role community energy and co-operative investment models are beginning to play within the UK’s wider transition toward low-carbon energy systems.

As pressure grows to accelerate renewable energy deployment while improving local engagement and energy resilience, community-owned and partnership-led energy schemes are attracting increasing interest across both the public and private sectors.